]]>Take it the Court is a new weekly column on SCH featuring the arguments, opinions, and random musing of a Utah Jazz fanatic.

Over the past several years, the Utah Jazz have teamed up with the Salt Lake Mission to provide Thanksgiving to thousands of underprivileged Utahns. Thus, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, here is a sampling of the Utah Jazz as your traditional holiday meal:

Turkey: I know you’re thinking Deron Williams as the main course, right? Guess again…how about Jerry Sloan? Don’t sleep on Sloan for Coach of the Year, tryptophan notwithstanding. Surrounded by change (during his tenure, he’s seen different players, management, different uniforms, even a different arena, and later a new arena name), Sloan is as constant as the Thanksgiving turkey tradition. This Coach won’t let his players nap on defense (or they’ll find themselves camping on the bench). Turkey is Thanksgiving and Jerry Sloan is the Utah Jazz.

Mashed Potatoes: Half Millsap + half Jefferson = one tasty serving of “Jeffersap.” Night in and night out, these two take turns filling the plates of opposing teams with tasty points and rebounds. Together, they are the glue that holds the meal together – It would nice to see them both on the table at the same time, but at least we can always count on one or the other. Thru 15 games, the duo is averaging a combined 36 points and nearly 18 rebounds per outing.

Gravy train? Here’s where D-Will comes in. You know that the key to turkey and mashed potatoes is a sweet tasting gravy to tie it all together. Likewise, Deron is the link between Sloan and his two-headed Jeffersap. When Williams is hot, he makes Sloan, Millsap, and Jefferson ALL look better. You can bet that opposing teams wish they could go easy on Williams – just like passing by the gravy at your family feast, overlooking D-Will is a recipe for destruction.

Sweet potatoes: How come we only eat sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving? It must be some holdover from a long forgotten era – but it still makes the menu every November. Raja Bell is the sweet potato in our analogy – a little old school, but the meal just isn’t complete without him. With Raja on the bench, the defensive difference in Utah’s home loss to OKC was palatable. Raja hasn’t had a defining game yet, but he makes his teammates better defenders.

Homemade rolls: Unless your willpower is stronger than mine (sweet, sweet carbs), you really can’t stop after one serving…just like Andrei Kirilenko. When AK is playing well, the team wins – plain and simple. Recall that is was AK’s inspired play that initiated the streak of comebacks. Pair him up with some Gravy or Mashed Potatoes, even cranberry sauce – and you’ve got a winning combination.

Green Beans: Not everyone likes CJ Miles. I have several FB friends who insist that he is the problem with the Jazz and needs to be shipped away as soon as possible. And then he knocks down HUGE buckets to keep the Jazz from dropping a close one to division rival Portland, followed by a great showing against the Kings. I, for one, am a fan of green beans AND CJ Miles. My only qualm? I don’t want my green beans thinking that it is my gravy. CJ, I love ya, but this is Deron’s team – you don’t have to be the hero every time you get the ball. Be content to be a green bean, for crying out loud!

Cranberry Sauce: Like it or not, a little bit goes a long way; enter the Utah bench – Fes, Elson, Price, Hayward, Watson [reserve “white meat” jokes about Fes and Hayward for another time]. The Jazz don’t need huge minutes OR huge numbers from their bench players. Instead, they need small doses of energy to keep things together.

Pumpkin Pie: If you don’t finish your meal with a slice of pie with some fresh whipped cream, you’re missing out. There’s just something about Mehmet Okur [shouldn’t HE be the Turkey?] that can put the finishing touches on the Utah season. Sure, you may think there is no room for pie, but come on, you can always make room for a nice slice of pie – and a silky smooth jumpshot. Word is, Memo is getting close.

My wish is that each and every reader out there has a happy and healthy Thanksgiving with more food than you can eat and plenty of friends and family to share it with. From the staff writers of SCH, we’re grateful for you stopping by for the finest news and opinions on the Utah Jazz.

]]>Take it the Court is a new weekly column on SCH featuring the arguments, opinions, and random musing of a Utah Jazz fanatic.

Eric Maynor takes on D-Will (Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images)

Last Christmas, in one of its most generous presents of all time, Utah gift wrapped a promising young rookie – Eric Maynor – and sent him to a division rival, the Oklahoma City Thunder. In return, the Jazz received the rights to Peter Fehse (he of New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig fame). Fehse was drafted by the late-Seattle Supersonics in 2002, but he never played a minute of NBA ball (never will). In that same transaction, OKC agreed to foot the insurance bill for Matt Harpring’s injured contract. Such deals are not uncommon in the NBA – the bottom line is that the bottom line motivates many such moves each year.

In Utah’s Monday night loss, Eric Maynor was not incredible. Compared to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, Maynor looked downright pedestrian. Still, in only 16 minutes on the court, E-May put up 8 points, 3 assists, and 3 rebounds (though D-Will and company did bait him into 4 quick personal fouls).

I couldn’t help but wonder what might have been had Maynor stayed in a Jazz jersey. Sure, Earl Watson and Ronnie Price are adequate back-ups for Deron, but I couldn’t help but wonder if Utah gave up too much in their dispatch of Maynor… would that trade come back to haunt the Jazz at some point in the future?

For better or worse, Eric Maynor is only the latest in a long line of former-Jazzmen who have gone on to successful careers after their time in SLC:

Who can forget undrafted rookie sensation Wesley Matthews? Just last night, he showed Portland that he was worth every penny of his new contract – he put up 30 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and a block. Talk about stuffing a stat sheet. B-Roy was watching as his understudy went off. As I’ve said before, I hope the kid has a long and successful career – as long as he’s off when he plays the Jazz.

Much to D-Will’s chagrin, Utah shipped off Ronnie Brewer for peanuts last year. Now, he’s teamed up with Boozer and Korver in Chicago. The Bulls are off to a 6-3 start, though Korver and Ronnie B. have seen only limited minutes off the bench, and Boozer has yet to get out of his business suit.

Carlos Arroyo played 145 games for the Jazz from 2002-2004. During that time, he averaged 8.9 points and just shy of 5 assists. In his “break-out” 2003-04 season in Utah, he averaged better than 12 points and 5 assists per outing. A bit of a journeyman, he had stints in Detroit, Orlando, TAU Cerámica (Spanish ACB), and is now running the point for LeBron and Friends in Miami. Arroyo’s greatest successes on the court came in international play. He was the flag-bearer for the Puerto Rican National Basketball Team, as well as named to 2004 All-Olympic Team – the same Puerto Rico squad that beat up on USA’s Nightmare Team. In PR’s victory over USA, Arroyo contributed 25 points, 7 assists and 4 steals. [Note: USA basketball went on to win the Bronze medal, prompting the reorganization of the team – leading to the current “Redeem Team“]

Mo Williams was slated to become one of Utah’s many second round draft steals – selected 47th overall in 2003. Instead, he played in only season with Utah – averaged 5 points and 1.3 assists in limited minutes. After a few successful years in Milwaukee, Mo was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers and played alongside ‘Bron – even earned an All-Star nod last year (as an injury replacement for Bosh). Now he’s left to pick up the pieces after the James gang bolted for sunnier weather.

Long before DeShawn Stevenson tattooed a backwards “P” on his cheek for his hometown Pittsburgh Pirates(?), he tortured Jazz fans with his amazing talent and lackluster effort. From 2000-2004, Stevenson played in over 200 games as a Jazzman. He too became a journeyman, and has since spent time in Orlando, Washington, and is currently with the Dallas Mavericks. Though still plagued with common energy and uncommon ability, DeShawn has had a successful run in the NBA since leaving the Wasatch Front. Who would have thought that sheer talent (without the accompanying drive) would see this guy last a decade in the league?

How many people recall a little fella named Dell Curry sporting a Jazz uniform? The Jazz drafted the 6’5″ Curry with the 15th overall pick in 1986. Playing in only 67 games in the ’86-’87 season, Dell Curry went went on to spend 14 more years in the league. In the 1993-94 season, Curry’s outstanding bench effort earned him a trophy for the Sixth Man of the Year with the late-Charlotte Hornets. Dell Curry ranks 28th all-time in 3-point field goals made. Perhaps his greatest basketball achievement? Siring Golden State phenomenon Stephen Curry.

With the third overall pick of the 1982 NBA draft, the Utah Jazz selected Dominique Wilkins from the University of Georgia. Unfortunately for Jazz fans, cash problems kept them from ever seeing the Human Highlight Film in a Jazz uni. Several months after the draft, Utah shipped the promising young forward to Atlanta for John Drew, Freeman Williams and cash – the rest is history. It actually worked out okay for the Jazz – they picked up Karl Malone in the draft 3 years later.

If you’ll indulge me, lets go all the way back to the Crescent City in 1974. Better known for his career pacing the sideline, Rick Adelman played 28 games for the New Orleans Jazz – averaged 6.3 points. Now the guy makes his living as a Head Coach – having spent time at the helm of the Trail Blazers, Warriors, Kings, and now the Houston Rockets. Next time he comes to SLC, be sure to show some respect to the former Jazzman.

Only time will tell if recent personnel decisions will come back to haunt the Jazz. Eric Maynor looked every bit the part of a solid NBA back-up PG in Monday’s loss. We’ll get our chance to see Wesley Matthews in action this Saturday as the Jazz travel to Portland. I can’t wait to see the Chicago Jazz take the court at ESA, though we’ll have to wait until February for that match up (long enough for Boozer to be injured a few more times).

It’s a revolving door league – some great players go and some poor players stay. You can bet, though, like Eric Maynor showed on Monday night – the great players that leave will come ready to play and show their former team that it was a mistake to let them move on.

– –

Contact Jefferson W. Boswell at jeffersonboz [AT] gmail [DOT] com.

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Jefferson

]]>http://saltcityhoops.com/take-it-to-the-court-2/feed/2Take it to the Court: A League of Extraordinary Gentlemen?http://saltcityhoops.com/take-it-to-the-court-1/
http://saltcityhoops.com/take-it-to-the-court-1/#commentsFri, 12 Nov 2010 21:06:55 +0000http://www.saltcityhoops.com/?p=2847Author information

Jefferson

]]>Take it the Court is a new weekly column on SCH featuring the arguments, opinions, and random musing of a Utah Jazz fanatic.

In the preseason, Big Al Jefferson stated that he hoped to be the “Robin” to D-Will’s “Batman.” As any kid who has spent time watching Saturday morning cartoons can attest, Robin was never Batman’s greatest teammate. Recall that Batman teamed up with Superman, Wonder-woman, Aquaman – even Scooby Doo. For all the arrogance of Ironman (née Tony Stark), his greatest allies were Thor, Captain America, and Nick Fury (to name a few). Would the X-Men be as popular/successful as the X-man? For all of Batman’s prowess in policing Gotham, he had greater impact and magnified his influence by teaming up with other superheroes. So you ask, what do these comics have to do with the NBA? Observe:

During this off-season, we all watched in abject horror (or amazement) as LeBron announced his decision to take his talents to South Beach. One of the best basketball talents of all time, ‘Bron essentially espoused the Batman model (or, as some may say, the Legion of Doom model) of teaming up with other superheros (Dwayne “don’t call me Flash” Wade & Chris Bosh) in order to chase his championship. As impressive as the Heat experiment has been in the opening weeks of the season, not all is right in south Florida.

As has been discussed ad nauseum (here and elsewhere), earlier this week, Paul Millsap exposed the weakness of Miami’s front-line (I’m looking at you Bosh). The Jazz somehow overcame a HUGE deficit and 39 points from the basketball-player-formerly-known-as-Flash. A fluke? Perhaps.

But Miami’s other losses in the young season (two at the hands of the Boston Senior Citizens, and one to CP3 – the other best PG in the league) demonstrated just what is wrong with throwing a bunch of superstars together…a lack of chemistry. Against the Hornets, Miami allowed CP3 to put up 19 dimes and 13 points – Okafor posted a double-double – three other players scored in double figures. In two games against the Shamrocks, Miami has looked the part of the pretender – not the contender that was promised. In an alpha-dog league, no one is quite sure where their place is in the Heat-pack.

When ‘Bron decided to go to Miami, many (myself included) thought him a coward for teaming up with his “Super Friends.” What would this mean for the future of free agency? Would Carmelo and CP3 make good on Paul’s toast to NYC and joining Amar’e with the Knicks? Was parity in the NBA a thing of the past? How could the Utahs and San Antonios of the league compete with the NY Yankee model being copied in the NBA (hard cap)? Perhaps the league could consolidate into 6-8 “super-teams,” and leave the “average” NBA talent in the D-League (and send the D-Leaguers off to find work in the “real world”).

In today’s megalithic NBA, superstar Free Agents have the ability to demand outlandish salaries. Granted, the value of a dollar is the same for me as for LeBron James – but what can he buy with $125 million that he can’t buy for $115 million? Really? If you have the basketball talents of Kobe Bryant, LeBron, Dwayne (and to a lesser extent, Deron Williams), why not simply pick a home and have your similarly talented friends come play with you? I’m sure games of H.O.R.S.E after Miami’s practice are much more spirited with Dwayne Wade and LeBron James going at it…I mean really, who wants to face off against Lazar Hayward in Minnesota when you could be playing the King just steps from the beach?

Business as Usual

MJ made it clear that he never would have called up Magic or Bird to from a triumvirate championship monster. Magic said that he was too concerned with figuring out how to beat Bird to consider teaming up with his rival. Bird, too. If you take those comments at face value, you’d think that Magic, Bird, and Jordan single-handedly won championships (combining for 14 ‘chips in 18 years). For all their contributions to their teams, though, last time I checked, basketball is a team sport…and all three had the benefit of stellar supporting casts.

Magic teamed up with all-time leading scorer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, not to mention another Hall-of-Famer, James Worthy. They had a pretty great Coach, too – Slicked-back Pat (Riley).

Larry Legend didn’t do it all himself – he was part of one of the best front-lines in NBA history – surrounded by Robert Parrish and Kevin McHale. The Celts won the ’86 title on the backs of FIVE future Hall of Famers (the aforementioned, Dennis Johnson, and Bill Walton).

MJ? His ‘chips never came until Chicago traded away rookie (and future Jazzman) Olden Polynice to Seattle for a former walk-on at NAIA’s Central Arkansas. Under the tutelage of Jordan and Zen-master Jackson, Scottie Pippen developed into one of the all-time greats.

Forgive me, then, if I find MJ, Magic, and Bird a little disingenuous in their musings about not teaming up with the greats – instead, only wanting to beat the greats. Surely each of their many successes were aided by the superstars around them.

Here is the key difference, though: MJ, Bird, and Magic had teams that were carefully built by the organization to serve a specific purpose. Is the union between Kobe and Pau Gasol more holy because it was brokered by management rather than between friends? You bet. Tony Parker, Manu Ginobli and Tim Duncan have earned a spot in NBA lore playing together at the behest of their organization – not in choosing to play with their best friends. I may be alone in this, but I would trust the championship basketball IQ of Phil Jackson, Greg Popovich, and Pat Riley over the IQ of young superstars who can’t see the forest for the trees [Author’s note: In Riley’s defense, who would turn down LBJ or Chris Bosh?]. Personally, I’d look to Professor X for guidance before asking an unstable, aggressive and emotional Wolverine.

A Superhero Model for Winning Championships?

As all too familiar to Karl Malone (and broken-hearted, betrayed Utah loyalists), simply assembling the best players onto a team doesn’t necessarily lead to the O’Brien trophy. The Mailman’s foray to Laker-Land with Gary Payton, Shaq, Kobe, and Phil Jackson didn’t result in the automatic ‘chip he had hoped for. In 2004, a Detroit TEAM made up mostly of Bruce Waynes and Clark Kents ousted their rivals of Batmans and Supermans (err..Black Mamba, Glove, Diesel, Mailman, Zen-Master).

Utah, New Orleans, and Boston have shown the league just what it takes to beat the Heat: playing team basketball (and attacking their weak front line). Miami is vulnerable. In the words of Whiplash, Ironman’s nemesis in the recent Hollywood film, Iron Man 2:

If you could make God bleed, people would cease to believe in him, there will be blood in the water, the sharks will come. All I have to do is sit back and watch as the world consumes you.

Remember, Miami – for all the advantages of playing on the beach, never forget your proximity to the sharks.